Cooling and temperature control in electrical, optical, and mechanical systems is of primary importance to the proper operation of such systems. Consequently, it is vital to replace a degrading or failed cooling module (e.g., blowers and fans) as quickly as possible in order to maintain normal system operation. In general, the replacement module can be from a different manufacturer than the manufacturer of the cooling module that is now degrading or failing. However, the ability to use cooling modules from different manufacturers can present a problem for fault detection.
Cooling modules produced by different manufacturers can operate at different rotational rates and still produce similar airflow volumes. Systems may use rotational rate as an indication of whether the cooling module is performing properly, degrading, or failing. The acceptable rotational rate, however, for a properly functioning cooling module can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Often, a single rotational rate serves as a fault threshold for all cooling modules that presently are or may become installed in the system. Typically, this fault threshold accounts for the slowest speed module from among the various manufacturers that might be used in the system; otherwise, if the fault threshold is set too high, properly functioning modules can erroneously trigger a fault or failure condition. Setting the fault threshold based on the slowest speed module, however, enables higher-speed cooling modules to degrade undetected to unacceptable performance levels because the rotational rate of the degrading module still happens to be above the fault threshold. The presence of a degrading cooling module can place a strain upon the continued operation of the system. Thus, there is a need for a system and method for setting fault thresholds that can accommodate operational modules from different manufacturers without the above-mentioned disadvantages associated with using a single fault threshold.